Phoenix, 1960s

Phoenix residents can probably pinpoint the locations in these four photos from the Vintage Phoenix Photos page on Facebook far better than we could and in doing so tell us whether the Chevrolet billboards seen in all four photos are one and the same. The rest of us, meanwhile, get to scour the photos for clues as to the dates they were taken. All four seem to date from the 1960s, but when? And what do you see here?

autobug2says:

October 16, 2015 4:48 pm

CrownCoupe64says:

October 16, 2015 12:19 pm

Bottom picture: ahead of the Mercury and Studebaker Lark is a 1960 Mercury (maybe a Commuter station wagon). Over the hood of that Merc, may be an even newer car, but a little to blurry for me to figure out.

autobug2says:

October 16, 2015 4:49 pm

Jason Herringsays:

October 16, 2015 12:35 pm

Second photo from top, and the bottom photos are on the same street. The Chevy billboard, the height of the building it’s attached to, and the one next to it, plus the Penney’s store in the background, are the indicators.
The top photo…Nash Metro with a missing spare and a ’66 Arizona tag, driven by a man in a cowboy hat…
The Chevy billboard in the third photo is on the roof of a drugstore. Can’t quite read the name (“Ryan-Evans”?), but the word DRUGS is readable.

dukeisdukesays:

October 16, 2015 12:39 pm

You don’t see too many cowpokes driving Metropolitans. I hope he doesn’t have a flat (or maybe he already did?).

In the first pic, on the far left, I see a ’66 Chevy at the front, and further back, a ’66 Ford F100 (under the palm tree). In the second picture, a ’66 Rambler American two-door hardtop and a ’65 Cadillac Sedan de Ville. In the third picture, a ’65 Fairlane two-door in the parking lot, and a ’65 Plymouth Satellite or Belvedere coming toward us.

The first three pictures are from ’65 or ’66, and the last one is earlier, maybe ’63 (I see a ’63 Ford parked in the lot on the left).

In the last picture, what’s that car out ahead of the ’60 Mercury? It has its brake lights on, and I’m thinking it might be newer than ’63.

October 19, 2015 1:15 pm

jim ssays:

October 16, 2015 12:52 pm

Todd Whitesays:

October 16, 2015 12:57 pm

These are three separate locations in Phoenix. Photos #2 and #4 are the same location, Washington Street looking west at Forth Street. (Same Chevrolet Billboard, but different dates. #4 being the early photo. Likely 1960.) Photo #1 is the intersection of McDowell Road, 19th Avenue and Grand Avenue looking southeast on Grand Avenue. Photo #3 is McDowell Road looking east from about 10th Street. All great photographs! (#1 is my favorite.) I live about 4 miles southeast of this location.

victorbravosays:

October 16, 2015 4:52 pm

Fred Kanarrsays:

October 19, 2015 10:27 am

Hi VB,
That Impala is a ’62. In high school I had a ’63 Biscayne 2 door post. I got it cheap, ($175) because of a wrinkled rear quarter panel. Our family car was a ’64 Impala 4 door hardtop. They were similar colors, (tan). Several classmates asked me if I got in very much trouble for wrecking the Old man’s car.

victorbravosays:

October 16, 2015 5:13 pm

GCRsays:

October 17, 2015 12:50 am

In pic one is the small compound windshield van a rural post delivery . It looks to be right hand drive .
In pic 2 on the left beteeen the guy walking across the street and the Mustang there is an Austin Healey in the parking lot .

Ken P.says:

October 19, 2015 12:14 pm

Bruce T.says:

October 19, 2015 1:43 pm

Rust can be a bigger problem in Arizona than you think. Any car that spends it’s life north of the Mogollon Rim can be subject to a variety of ice/snow removal chemicals. Even cars that spend their entire life in the Phoenix area seem to have certain areas that they rust in. We had 2 ’62 Chevys both of which had rust in the lower rear area of the front fenders just in front of the door opening. Even the ones in the junkyards had the same problems. Early 70s GM cars like to rust around the rear window. We had 3 of those over the years. These problems were probably caused more by drainage problems than road chemicals but rust is rust, no matter what.

NY2AZsays:

October 19, 2015 10:46 am

Fred Kanarrsays:

October 19, 2015 10:47 am

I love the signs and storefronts in these photos. In the right edge of the 3rd pic (after buying buying a couple of vowels and filling in the blanks) is a sign for a Liquor Store, the bottom part of the sign says Driv_ . I’d like to solve the puzzle and say Drive thru.
It also says Drive In under the Sherwin-Williams sign. I guess you could get liquored up and paint the town red without leaving the car.

unclehotrod13says:

October 19, 2015 12:19 pm

Jim Bsays:

October 19, 2015 12:37 pm

Dan T.says:

October 19, 2015 12:47 pm

In the second photo the Austin-Healey behind the Mustang appears to have the plexiglass side curtains and flat front windscreen, making it no later than 1962. 1963 (actually mid 1962) was the first year for roll-up windows. It could be a 100-6, as early as 1956. Tough to tell without a bit more resolution.

THGDriversays:

October 19, 2015 1:34 pm

Hi Roberto your comment wan not moderated yet when I commented on the 59 Cad. BTW, the Cadillac in Photo two is a 1965—The 66 had the cornering light in the fenders, the 65 had the cornering light on top of the bumper as seen in the photo. I owed two 1965’s back in the day.

October 23, 2015 4:52 pm

Mark Axensays:

October 19, 2015 1:19 pm

DCsays:

October 19, 2015 1:20 pm

THGDriversays:

October 19, 2015 1:21 pm

Nobody mentioned the 1959 Cadillac about 9:00 in the third picture so I will. First picture it seems like a warm day. Man in convertible and another with his arm out the window of the Chevrolet waiting on light on our right. Next photo down with the 65 Cadillac all the windows are closed on the cars and the folks walking all have coats/jackets on. Last photo, if the guy in the Metropolitan is looking for his horse I found it.

Mood-Osays:

October 19, 2015 9:28 pm

CRPavonesays:

October 20, 2015 2:57 am

I lived in that rotisserie called a town all through the ’80’s. ll the streets are laid out in a perfect grid throughout the 20 or 30 square blocks comprising the old main section, with one exception.
Grand Avenue, sometimes refereed to as Phoenix-Wickenburg Hwy, cuts diagonally southeast/northwest following the Santa Fe rail line. I can’t attest to every picture, but in Phoenix’s westside where ever you encounter a diagonally intersecting street, your at Grand Ave and any one of the other east/west named streets and/or north/south numbered streets. Such is the case in at least pictures 1 and 3, but without some fancy image-enhancing computer program “as seen on TV”, I can’t tell which cross street we are at

robert eugenesays:

October 20, 2015 4:08 pm

Richrovillesays:

October 22, 2015 10:03 pm

Like many older businesses that have survived, if you Google Six Points Hardware, you’ll have to note they have moved further South on 19th Avenue in a newer metal building. The original corner location lost too much of their parking lot to street widening and they needed more space.

Jsays:

October 21, 2015 11:00 pm

A few that haven’t been caught are the ’56 Bel Air and ’59 Impala in the lot in #2, and the ’63 Fairlane 500 and ’53 Merc in the same photo. 1964 Comet hardtop in the lot in #3, and a ’56 Bel Air 4-door sedan just ahead of the camera in #4.
Everyone will be fascinated to learn that I drove one like it in college, as well as it’s neighbour, the ’54 Monterey 4-door.

Richardovillesays:

October 22, 2015 10:29 pm

Phoenix and the good old days. I’d also like to relate the story of some old geezer who had a covered wagon with automobile wheels and tires on it and drawn by a Mule. Often saw him around Scottsdale Road & McDowell at the Old Papago Plaza Shopping Center. That was 1962, when Scottsdale was “The West’s Most Western Town”. I remember they made him put a reflective triangle on the back of it.